ADDITIONAL 60 UKRAINIAN REFUGEES ARRIVE IN CO MONAGHAN

An additional 60 refugees from the war in Ukraine had now arrived in Co Monaghan, Monday’s meeting of Monaghan Co Council was informed. Orla Brady of the Council’s Community Development Section said the additional numbers were separate to the official group of 40 refugees who had been sent to Co Monaghan on April 3 by IPAS or the International Protection Accommodation Service and had come to the county from other sources to families already in the area.

The relevant agencies were working with these individuals, she pointed out. Updating the meeting on the Ukrainian refugee situation in the county, Ms Brady said the individuals who had come here on April 3 had arrived via Poland and were made up of young people, single males, single older females and families. The Monaghan Civil Defence building was used as their rest centre and over ten days the Co Council’s Community Development and Housing Sections had worked very closely with the Civil Defence to make sure the priority needs of the refugees were met.

The Council had worked with the HSE to make sure medical assessments were carried out and followed up with GPs, and had also worked to ensure that the refugees had Social Protection support. The local Gardaí had provided personal safety briefings and the Gardaí had organised trips to Rossmore Park and Glaslough for the refugees. “We worked with other specialist agencies to provide clothes and toys and make sure everyone felt safe and welcome,” Ms Brady stated.

She said that by April 12 the majority of the refugees had moved to emergency accommodation in local hotels in the county. They had two families housed in pledged accommodation, and many had moved on to other areas where some had connections and where some had secured employment. Six new people with some connection with members of the original group had also now moved here. Ms Brady added that a community health nurse had been assigned to the refugees and the ETB were organising English language classes for them. Five children were attending St Joseph’s School in Knockatallon and two…